Grayson County approves 199-foot Verizon monopole near Troutdale

Grayson County supervisors on March 14 approved a special-use permit for a 199-foot monopole wireless communications tower at 573 Chestnut Ridge Road in Troutdale.

The permit, submitted by Cellco Partnership d/b/a Verizon Wireless and presented to the board by Laura Schweller of Cellco Partnership, follows a February recommendation from the county Planning Commission. The county packet and the Planning Commission report recommended approval with conditions including construction according to submitted plans and decommissioning within 90 days of abandonment under the county zoning ordinance.

Laura Schweller, project representative for Cellco Partnership, said the 10-acre, forested ridge site should ‘‘propagate a signal 4 or 5 miles in every direction because of its location,’’ and that the facility is intended to improve coverage in the Jones, Melbourne and Flatridge areas. She told supervisors that Verizon would be the initial anchor tenant at the top of the monopole and that other carriers could lease space below. ‘‘If AT&T or any other carrier had an interest in providing…